Can Dündar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Can Dündar
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Dündar in 2017
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| Born | 16 June 1961 Ankara, Turkey
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| Education | Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science London School of Journalism Middle East Technical University |
| Occupation | Columnist, TV host, documentarian |
| Spouse(s) | Dilek Dündar |
| Children | 1 |
Can Dündar (born 16 June 1961) is a well-known Turkish journalist, writer, and filmmaker. He used to be the main editor of the Cumhuriyet newspaper. In 2015, he was arrested after his newspaper shared information about the government sending weapons to fighters in Syria.
Dündar is famous in Turkish media. He has written for many newspapers and created TV shows for channels like TRT and CNN Türk. He has also published over 20 books. He won the International Press Freedom Award for his work. Since 2016, he has lived in Germany because there is an arrest warrant for him in Turkey. He now works as an editor for a web radio station called #ÖZGÜRÜZ. He is also part of the Information and Democracy Commission, which helps protect journalists.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dündar studied journalism at Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University and finished in 1982. He continued his studies at the London School of Journalism in 1986. He earned his master's degree in 1988 and his PhD in political science in 1996 from Middle East Technical University in Ankara. His family has roots from Circassian and Albanian people.
Journalism Career
Dündar has written for many newspapers, including Hürriyet and Milliyet. From 1996 to 1998, he hosted his own TV show called 40 Dakika. On this show, he talked about important topics in Turkey every week. He also worked on other TV programs like Yanki and 32. Gün.
His work often explores how Turkey became a modern country. He shares historical and political details about important events and discussions. He has written about famous figures like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the Republic of Turkey. His film Mustafa (2008) showed Atatürk as a regular person with feelings, not just a hero.
Challenges and Arrest in 2015
Dündar used to write for the Milliyet newspaper. In 2013, he was let go because his articles about the Gezi protests were seen as "too sharp." The newspaper owner said they didn't want stories that would upset the prime minister. Dündar explained that anything that displeased the government caused problems for the paper.
After this, he joined the Cumhuriyet newspaper and became its new editor-in-chief in 2015. That same year, Cumhuriyet won an award from Reporters Without Borders for its brave and independent journalism.
Soon after, Dündar and another journalist, Erdem Gül, were arrested. They were accused of sharing secret government documents. This happened after Cumhuriyet published photos showing weapons being sent to Syria in trucks belonging to the State Intelligence. This event became known as the MİT trucks scandal. In June 2015, the Turkish President Erdoğan said that the person who reported this story would "pay a heavy price." While in prison, Dündar was not allowed colored pencils. So, he used fruit to make his own paints and secretly sent his drawings out of prison. He wanted to show that "color can exist even in the darkest of places."
After 92 days, Dündar and Gül were released from prison in February 2016. The court decided that holding them was an "undue deprivation of liberty," meaning they were held unfairly.
Attack, Prison Sentence, and Life in Exile
On 6 May 2016, an attacker tried to shoot Dündar outside a courthouse in Istanbul. Dündar was there defending himself against charges of sharing state secrets. His wife and a member of parliament stopped the attacker. Dündar was not hurt, but another journalist was injured in the leg.
On the same day, Dündar was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for "leaking secret information of the state."
Dündar moved to Germany in June 2016. In August 2016, he left his job as editor-in-chief at Cumhuriyet but continued to write as a columnist. An arrest warrant was issued for him in Turkey in October 2016, meaning he could be arrested if he returned.
In December 2020, he was sentenced in his absence to 27 years and six months in prison for sharing secret information and helping a group accused of being a terrorist organization.
Personal Life
Can Dündar is married to Dilek Dündar, and they have one child. His father reportedly worked for the State Intelligence. He lives in Berlin, Germany. He has faced attacks from some Turks living in Berlin because of his anti-government news reports.
Awards and Honors
- 2016 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards
- 2016 Oxfam Novib/PEN Award
- 2017 Best European Journalist of the Year, Prix Europa
Documentaries
- Demirkırat (1991)
- 12 Mart (March 12) (1994)
- Cumhuriyetin Kraliçeleri (The Queens of the Republic) (1992)
- Sarı Zeybek (The Yellow [Blond] Zeybek) (1993)
- Gölgedekiler (The ones in the shadow) (1994–1995)
- Yükselen Bir Deniz (The Rising Sea) (1998)
- İsmet Paşa (1999)
- Devlet Tiyatroları (Government theaters) (1999)
- Köy Enstitüleri (Village Institutes) (2000)
- Halef (The Successor) (2003)
- Nazım Hikmet (2002)
- Bir Yaşam İksiri (A life potion) (2003)
- Yüzyılın Aşkları (Loves of the century) (2004)
- Karaoğlan (Black boy) (2004)
- Garip: Neset Ertas Belgeseli (Strange: The Neset Ertas Documentary) (2005)
- Mustafa (2008)
- Delikanlım İyi Bak Yıldızlara (2012)
Books
- Hayata ve Siyasete Dair (About Life and Politics)
- Yağmurdan Sonra (After the Rain)
- Ergenekon. The first book on Ergenekon.
- Yarim Haziran (My Love June)
- Benım Gençliğim (My youth)
- Köy Enstitüleri (Village Institutions)
- Yaveri Atatürk'ü Anlatıyor (Atatürk's assistant talks about him)
- Nereye? (Where to?)
- Uzaklar (Far away places)
- Yükselen Deniz (Rising Sea)
- Savaşta Ne Yaptın Baba? (What did you do in the war, father?)
- Büyülü Fener (Magic Lantern)
- Bir Yaşam İksiri (A life potion)
- Mustafa Kemal Aramızda (Mustafa Kemal is Among Us)
- Yıldızlar (The stars)
- Demirkırat
- Sarı Zeybek (Yellow zeybek)
- Gölgedekiler (The ones in the shadow)
- İlk Türk Hititologu: Sedat Alp, (First Turkish hittitologue: Sedat Alp)
- Kırmızı Bisiklet (Red bike)
- Nazım
- Karaoğlan (Black boy)
- Vehbi Koç
- İsmet Paşa
- Yüzyılın Aşkları (The loves of the century)
- Yakamdaki Yüzler (The faces on my collar)
- Ben Böyle Veda Etmeliyim (I should say goodbye like that)
- Tutuklandık (We got arrested)
See also
In Spanish: Can Dündar para niños
- List of arrested journalists in Turkey
